Education Policy

Requires schools to implement comprehensive safety plans addressing child abuse and sex offenses by July 2026. Establishes a statewide database by 2027 to track school employee misconduct investigations. Mandates annual abuse prevention training for all school staff, volunteers, and students. Expands background check requirements and employment restrictions for school personnel with criminal records.

Expands career technical education programs by requiring updated industry standards and apprenticeship opportunities. Mandates schools to offer work-based learning programs with credit for students starting in grade 10. Establishes a state framework for youth apprenticeships that combine classroom instruction with paid work experience. Creates an interagency workgroup to develop guidelines and standards for career education programs by 2026.

Expands California school evaluations to include Cambridge International examinations as authorized assessment tools. Requires schools to include Cambridge International programs in educational counseling for grades 6-12. Authorizes school districts to provide financial assistance for Cambridge exam fees to students in need. Establishes Cambridge International Education as a recognized pathway for college preparation in California schools.

Establishes new civil penalties for social media platforms that enable hate crimes or discrimination. Imposes fines of up to three months of platform revenue for intentional violations. Holds platforms legally responsible for harmful content delivered by their algorithms. Doubles penalties when violations affect minors on social media platforms.

Establishes a comprehensive one-year civics curriculum covering federal, state, and local government fundamentals. Requires the State Department of Education to partner with county education offices to develop the curriculum guide. Creates a pathway for students to earn the State Seal of Civic Engagement through course completion. Includes detailed instruction on voting rights, registration methods, and civic participation processes.

Allows middle and high school students one excused absence per year for career technical education activities. Requires students to notify schools in advance of career technical education absences. Permits school administrators to approve additional career technical education absences beyond the annual limit. Mandates students complete all missed assignments and tests to receive full credit.

Requires auditors of school districts to complete 24 hours of education in school-specific auditing by 2026. Mandates quality control reviews of charter school auditors every three years to ensure compliance. Establishes stricter peer review requirements for firms conducting school financial audits. Authorizes suspension of auditors who fail to meet professional standards for up to three years.

Modifies charter school renewal standards to require evidence of academic improvement or strong college outcomes. Requires use of verified data for evaluating low-performing charter schools until new growth models are ready. Authorizes two-year renewals for struggling schools and five-year terms for higher-performing charters. Mandates state reimbursement to local agencies for costs of implementing these new requirements.

Requires California high schools to adopt new ethnic studies standards and curriculum by January 2028. Mandates that ethnic studies courses be free from bias and appropriate for students of all backgrounds. Establishes an expert advisory committee to guide development of ethnic studies content and materials. Requires schools to submit their ethnic studies curricula for state review by June 2026.

Extends Paradise Unified School District's exemption from administrative staffing penalties through 2027. Requires Paradise Unified to submit a detailed staffing ratio report by September 2026. Provides immediate relief to help the district recover from the Camp Fire's impact.

Prohibits landlords from requiring tenants to subscribe to specific internet service providers. Allows tenants to deduct forced internet subscription costs from their monthly rent. Expands tenant rights to ensure freedom of choice in selecting internet providers.

Requires schools to process special education plans within 30 days for transfer students. Mandates schools to accept unofficial records from military families during student transfers. Expands residency rights for military families with special education students. Requires electronic enrollment systems for military families transferring to California schools.

Expands parental access rights to include both official and unofficial school records of their children. Maintains existing protections that prevent access when prohibited by court orders. Preserves parents' rights to question and receive responses about inaccurate information in records.

Establishes new state funding for transitional kindergarten programs in basic aid school districts starting 2025-26. Requires additional funding for necessary small schools to maintain transitional kindergarten programs. Mandates annual General Fund appropriations to support transitional kindergarten in qualifying schools. Ensures basic aid districts receive supplemental grants without reducing other educational programs.

Establishes a zero-interest loan program to help schools develop workforce housing for educators. Provides loans ranging from $150,000 to $200,000 based on school district size. Requires loan repayment over 5 years through automatic deductions from school funding. Creates a backup security fund to protect against loan defaults.

Expands student rights to wear cultural and religious adornments at graduation and related school events. Prohibits schools from requiring pre-approval for wearing cultural or religious adornments. Allows students and families to determine what qualifies as traditional regalia or cultural objects. Exempts students from wearing graduation caps when incompatible with their cultural adornments.

Establishes new criteria for reclassifying English learner students as English proficient starting July 2026. Requires English learners to achieve a score of 3H or higher on the state English proficiency test for reclassification. Maintains requirements for teacher evaluation, parent input, and basic skills assessment in reclassification decisions.

Protects school funding when immigration enforcement activities cause student attendance drops through 2029. Requires schools to offer independent study programs to maintain funding eligibility during attendance decreases. Exempts documentation about immigration-related attendance drops from public records disclosure. Mandates state verification of school compliance with independent study requirements starting 2026.

Requires schools serving grades 5-12 to create annual climate reports starting in the 2026-27 school year. Mandates schools to develop improvement plans when climate deficiencies are identified. Requires schools to present climate reports at public board meetings and post them online within 30 days.

Authorizes school districts to offer teacher certification programs for English learner and bilingual education. Requires district-run teacher programs to meet the same standards as university-based programs. Expands pathways for teachers to earn English learner and bilingual teaching credentials.

Establishes a system for schools to develop housing on their property through a new state notification process. Requires the state to create an online form by January 2027 for schools to declare interest in housing projects. Provides technical assistance to schools for housing development, including legal advice and funding guidance. Prioritizes support for schools in high-need areas or those facing housing and staffing shortages.

Expands dual enrollment programs by allowing regional occupational centers to establish middle college high schools. Authorizes up to $250,000 in grants for starting middle college high schools and $100,000 for dual enrollment partnerships. Redefines migrant education regions to include more types of educational agencies and partnerships. Requires detailed annual reporting on dual enrollment programs including student demographics and course completion rates.

Requires school districts to pay classified employees their regular rate for all mandatory training time. Mandates in-person training for topics like sexual harassment and child abuse reporting. Ensures contracted workers receive equivalent health and retirement benefits as direct employees. Requires real-time question-and-answer sessions during all employee training programs.

Establishes a Pay-It-Forward program allowing UC and CSU students to attend college without paying upfront costs. Requires graduates to repay a percentage of their income instead of taking traditional student loans. Creates a dedicated fund from graduate repayments to support future students' education costs. Mandates UC and CSU campuses to enroll at least 10,000 students in the program by 2030.

Establishes a statewide database to track misconduct investigations of non-teaching school staff by July 2027. Requires applicants for non-teaching school positions to disclose all previous education employment history. Mandates schools to report staff misconduct investigations within 10 days of starting or completing an inquiry. Requires schools to check the database for misconduct history before hiring non-teaching staff.